OFSTED and SIAMS

Ofsted is the inspectorate for children and learners in England. It is their job to contribute to the provision of better education and care through effective inspection and regulation. They achieve this through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulation covering childcare, schools, colleges, children's services, teacher training and youth work. Each week, they carry out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits, helping professionals in education and childcare make a difference to the lives of children and young people.

"We are a non-ministerial government department accountable to Parliament. Our independence means you can rely on us for impartial information about the quality of education and care."

Ofsted: short inspection letter 2018

"SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.

The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: how effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?

This is explored through seven strands:

Vision and Leadership

Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills

Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy

Community and Living Well Together

Dignity and Respect

The impact of collective worship

The effectiveness of religious education

One overall grade is awarded reflecting the contribution of these strands to the flourishing of pupils and adults in a Church school. In addition a standalone grade is awarded in all schools for collective worship and in voluntary aided (VA) schools and former VA schools for religious education (RE). This grade is based on teaching and learning alone."